


Peeta the Friendly Ghost

by Alliswell



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Because is Halloween Y’all, F/M, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-29 03:22:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16255640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alliswell/pseuds/Alliswell
Summary: Based on a visual Prompt by Everlarkprompts@tumblr. For the Octoberlark challenge.An Everlark/Casper the Movie crossover.Katniss Everdeen and her mother move to the haunted Mockingjay Manor, to share their home with a foursome of ghostly beings, in this Halloween story of finding Happy Endings and Everlasting Friendship.





	Peeta the Friendly Ghost

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Casper or THG
> 
> This work is largely un betaed. Since I promised I was posting it at midnight on Halloween and I also promise an update on another fic, I’ll have to come back and fix this one shot during the day tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience. I love you all!

 

 

 

**Peeta the Friendly Ghost:**

# _octoberlark_ @everlarkprompts

The little sleepy town of Panem, was a slice of Americana time and people forgot. The perfect place for a broken family of two to relocate and start over.

Katniss Everdeen and her mother were new in town. At 16, Katniss was an introverted bookworm that had been forced to leave the town she grew up in, and the place where her father and sister were buried, just so her scientists mother could have a fresh start somewhere her name was unknown and maybe, just maybe, finally start working on piecing their lives back together.

Katniss mourned the happy home they used to have in Capitol City, full of love and laughter and sweet memories. But all that was lost with the demise of her father and younger sister.

Katniss’ mother was left a shell of herself, a ghost-chasing mess… literally. That’s what her mother did nowadays. Chase ghosts.

Mrs. Everdeen was a brilliant theorist with outrageous ideas about wormholes, interdimensional portals, parallel dimensions and the afterlife. But after losing half of her family, she became _unhinged_  and spoke non-stop about the probability of a second plane.

Katniss’ mother got the attention of Snow & Coin Laboratories. The company didn’t care if a portal into hell was opened unleashing the destruction of the world, as long as they could exploit people’s desires to speak with lost loved ones for handfuls of cash. They outfitted Mrs. Everdeen with a state of the art ghost chasing workshop, and at first, Katniss had been grateful and even thrilled for her mother. The woman finally had a productive outlet for her ramblings of ectoplasm, interdimensional spirits and other such things, but the odds had never been in Katniss’ favor.

Mrs. Everdeen threw herself into her work to the point where she forgot about her last remaining child, and her experiments grew more and more dangerous, until one day an explosion occurred in the lab that left Katniss temporarily deaf in one ear.

The earl damage got repaired, but Mrs. Everdeen was sent to a mental facility, “so she could rest from her stressful workload” said Plutarch Heavensbee, Snow & Coin’s most notorious representative.

Leonard Cinna, the social worker assigned to the Everdeen’s case, did the impossible and reunited mother and daughter again, under the condition that Mrs. Everdeen would work from home, in a more relaxed environment, far away from all her triggers, which also meant leaving behind all the happy memories of their former life and the only home Katniss had ever known.

Snow & Coin footed the moving bill, buying a humongous house in an area called Victor’s Village, where all the homes were at least 100 years old and _full_ _of_ _personality_ … or at least that was what Ms. Trinket, the realtor, had called them during the tour of their new house.

Katniss followed Ms. Trinket, wondering how the woman could power walk like she did in those ridiculous twelve inch heels. The realtors accent was so affected, Katniss could barely keep a straight face. Mrs. Everdeen kept giving her daughter warning glances while Ms. Trinket babbled along about how much of a steal the house was for the market, and other nonsense as if trying to convince them the house was the best thing since sliced bread.

“The combined yards are nearly two acres of beautiful lawn. There is small flower garden surrounding the house, and what I like to call an orchard to the east of the property. I’m told pear, apple, and pecan trees grow there and even some blueberry bushes if I’m not mistaken. All perfectly manicured by the HOA gardener. Also, this house has two service elevators and a laundry chute, the other homes don’t! Another thing that sets this home apart is all the beautiful woodwork. All mahogany. The cabinets, the moulding, you name it, it is made from mahogany!” Ms. Trinket stopped in the middle of the kitchen and turned around to gush some more, this time facing the Everdeens instead of prattling over her shoulder as they walked. “Aren’t you just so excited to be living in this beautiful home?”

“Yes. I guess.” Said Mrs Everdeen diplomatically. “Mockingjay Manor is a bit on the extravagant side, but is completely charming.”

“So, if this house is so great, how is it that’s it’s been in the market for so long?” Katniss asked almost mockingly, “Must be the lack of WiFi. Can’t use my phone to search Zillow reviews, though.” She waved her cellphone in the air cheekily.

Ms. Trinket gave Katniss a dirty look, clearly not impressed with the teen’s quip, but before the woman could say anything, Mrs. Everdeen interrupted with a question of her own.

“How about you show us my working space? Snow & Coin wants me to start my new project as soon as possible.”

Katniss rolled her eyes and trudge along with the adults while Ms. Trinket livened up at the prospect of more exposition on a house that was already closed on. They passed the kitchen island, across the brand new stainless steel appliances and one very sparkly oven window. According to Ms. Trinket, the whole kitchen had been recently renovated.

Out of the corner of her eye, Katniss saw movement in her periphery. She turned her head in the direction of the oven, and gasped startled at what she saw on the reflective surface. She pivoted on her feet to the spot where a boy around her age stood craning his neck behind the counter, looking at them curiously.

But, nobody was there.

“What the—?!” Katniss gasped.

Her outburst made her mother and Ms.Trinket stop and stare.

Katniss’ head quickly turned back to the oven, but again, there was nothing there to be seen.

“What is Katniss?” Asked Mrs. Everdeen solicitously.

“I thought I saw...“ She trailed off and lifted her eyes to her mother’s. There was a strangely excited glint in Mrs. Everdeen blue eyes.

Ms. Trinket on the other hand looked anxious when she asked “What did you see, dear?”

“Nothing.” Katniss mumbled resolutely. Her mother’s countenance sagged just a little. “It was probably a cockroach or something.”

“A cockroach?!” Ms. Trinket screeched. “That is preposterous! You won’t see any vermin in this house. We made sure everything was in top notch condition for you ladies. The whole manor was fumigated as part of the preparation for your arrival. Nothing but the best for you brave souls!”

“Brave souls? What is that supposed to—“

“Look! A hummingbird! How quaint. Primrose, would’ve loved it here!” Said Mrs. Everdeen rushing to the window above the sink.

Katniss came up behind her mother and stared at the beautiful backyard. She saw many flowery plants in masterfully manicured beds with a butterfly or two fluttering about and a wasp zooming by, but no hummingbirds.

“I don’t see anything.” She said dejected.

“Of course not, honey. Hummingbirds are awfully fast.”

“Most be that. Otherwise both of us are seeing things that aren’t actually there.” Said Katniss sardonically and stepped away from the window, leaving the kitchen and making her way to where she assumed was the basement and her mother’s new workshop. Or rather, her mother’s actual new home.

 

* * *

 

 

Moving day was exhausting. Not physically, since Snow & Coin paid the movers to actually unpack the few possessions the Everdeens brought with them. The house was fully furnished with what Katniss believed was the original stuff from whenever the house was built, some 100 years earlier.

The exhaustion was mental and emotional.

The Everdeens sat at the long dining table to eat a McDonald’s meal out of the paper bags from the drive thru. Katniss smiled absently.

“Momma, can we invite Effie Trinket to supper tomorrow?” Katniss asked deviously.

Mrs. Everdeen was reading something out of one of her notebooks, she spared her daughter a confused glance over her askewed readers, “You really want to invite Ms. Trinket back for dinner?” There was a note of suspicion in the woman’s voice.

Katniss grinned, “Of course! We’ll serve Chinese take out out of the containers, but we won’t give her any utensils!” She sniggered, “Maybe we can serve a bucket of fried chicken instead! She'll be so offended about having to eat with her hands and our lack of manners around her precious mahogany table, she’ll faint! It’ll be hilarious!”

Mrs. Everdeen was about to chide her daughter but both of them were startled by a small, quiet chuckle neither of them produced.

Mrs. Everdeen stood from the table so fast she knocked down her chair, she started hurrying somewhere but suddenly a noise of car doors closing from outside the house filtered through an open window, followed by voices and more laughter, albeit a much higher pitch than the one they had heard before.

“I thought I closed all of the windows.” Katniss scowled effectively shutting the panel closed.

“Well, apparently that wasn’t the case.” Mrs. Everdeen muttered righting her chair up. Without another word, the woman turned around and started out of the room.

“Momma, are you done eating?” Katniss asked trying to tamp down her disappointment and resentment.

“Uh… yeah.” Her mother said absently. “I’m behind on work and should start calibrating my equipment.”

“But is our first night here!” Katniss protested.

“Mhmm,” Mrs. Everdeen agreed, “have fun, honey. See you tomorrow.”

Katniss slouched down on her chair as her mother made it out of the dining room leaving behind her burger and fries untouched.

With her shoulders sagging, the teen took a bite of her own food and found it gummy and tasteless, just like her life. After eating her fill, Katniss gathered all the trash, including her mother’s food and brought it to the kitchen to dispose of.

One look at the open window over the sink made her sigh in annoyance. She closed it and bent over to rummage in a box for paper towels. When she stood up she noticed the blasted window was ajar again.

“Damned old house! Stupid lock must be broken. I’m gonna have to change it later.” She blew her loose hair out of her forehead and made sure the latch was on real well before leaving the kitchen.

She went back to wipe the previously pristine table top from her smears of ketchup and grease. The furniture might be vintage, but Ms.Trinket made sure they were polished and reupholstered for the move, and not that Katniss would ever admit it aloud, she actually liked most of the pieces. She knew her father appreciated nice craftsmanship where he saw it, and although he’d never seen this house in life, she figured she could keep it nice in his honor.

Katniss walked into the dining room and shrieked. All the windows in the room were open, including the one she closed during supper. She screwed on a scowl on her face and marched up to the fixture.

“Momma, if this is your idea of a joke, I gotta tell ya, is not funny! As much I’ll regret saying this, it’ll be best if you keep your day job, because moonlighting as a comedian would result in a flop!” As soon as she said the words, Katniss shoved the first window panel close again with a lot more force than was necessary.

She went around the room and checked each safety latch and finally returned to the table for her original task. She finished cleaning off the mess and went straight to her bedroom. She was so beyond done with the day, it was actually souring her mood.

The house was three stories tall, with a basement. The first floor was the main living areas: kitchen, living room, dining room, laundry room and the thing no big, creepy house was complete without: a massive ballroom.

“For all the crazy parties, I’m gonna throw… yay!” Mocked Katniss every single time she walked up the master staircase in the foyer and glanced over at the ballroom.

The second floor had no less than 7 bedrooms. “One for each day of the week,” Katniss had clapped in faux excitement. Ms. Trinket laughed when she heard, and reminded her, her mother would be sleeping in one of those rooms. Katniss promptly answered innocently, “Oh, that’s okay, my mother’s cot is already set up by her ball and chain down in the basement. You know, so she doesn’t have to leave her lab?” Neither her mother, nor Ms. Trinket found the quip funny.

Then, there was the top floor, which was more like an attic with a small restroom attached. The room housed a few shelves piled with books and yet more mahogany furnishings. It wasn’t really a bedroom since it didn’t have a closet. Ms. Trinket argued it was more of an office space, but there was a nook with a window overlooking the orchard and daybed almost exactly under it. Katniss claimed the whole space as her room right then and there.

One of the two service elevators came straight to Katniss’ attic from the kitchen. She figured that would be the way to bring laundry up and down. A dresser would solved the closet issue, and lastly, a mini fridge would save her from having to go downstairs every time she needed a drink or snack. It was perfect. If she was going to live on her own while her mother shut herself in her workshop, she might as well commit to it. Making the attic her living space would help her pretend she was indeed living on her own.

Katniss brushed her teeth, combed her hair out and braided it loosely. After putting comfortable pjs on, she settled in her new bed with a book she plucked from her new in-home library and mumbled to herself, “Mother said to have fun, so… let’s have fun with a trip ‘Around the world in 80 days’!”

 

* * *

 

 

Katniss was screaming. “Daddy look out!” Her throat burnt with the effort. She was strangely aware she was asleep, in the middle of a nightmare, but she couldn’t pull herself out of it. She screamed again, “Prim! Prim, please!”

Suddenly she was being shaken awake by warm hands on her shoulders. Shivering and with tears streaming down her face, Katniss gulped air greedily into her lungs, trying to gain control over her racing heart. The light of her lamp was on her eyes, so she sat up rubbing at them but when she finally managed to look up, she felt her whole body go into shock.

Instead of finding her mother’s sad, tired face in front of her, she found the concerned face of the boy from the oven window, hovering over her as if suspended in air. Katniss screeched in terror and scrambled away from the boy as far as she could, resulting on her falling to the floor and bumping her head. Hard.

The boy’s eyes widened, quickly following Katniss and anxiously trying to grab her hands, but she just crab crawled as fast as she could, which wasn’t very far since she was all tangled up in her sheets. The boy tried to shush her.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Please don’t yell, miss. If you scream the others will hear, and they are not very nice.” He begged, “Please, don’t yell no more.”

“What—? But, why… who—?” Katniss’ heart thumped in her chest from fear as she sputtered questions without really asking anything.

The boy smiled shyly, “I’m Peeta.” He answered simply.

A dimple formed on the boy’s cheek, and for some reason that particular detail made her calm down just a smidge.

She took a short second to study the boy. He was: floating, translucent and everything about him, from his hair to his clothes was colorless.

“You’re a ghost!” Katniss blurted out and promptly covered her mouth with both hands in alarm.

Peeta’s cheeks seemed to darken, but since he was the color of ash, it was hard to be sure.

“I promise I meant you no harm.” He assured her sheepishly, backing away enough for her to uncoil from the tight ball of limbs and sheets she sat in. “I despise scaring people. It saddens me that every time someone sees me, they either scream or run away in horror... or both.”

“So, you’re a friendly ghost.” Katniss offered pulling her covers up to her chin.

“You can say that.” Peeta beamed at her. Then his eyes turned sheepish again. “I was just trying to help. Honest!” He beseeched.

“Mmm… Okay. Um… thank you, I guess.” She said diplomatically, sitting up straighter. “I can use a friend, actually.”

“So, you’ll allow it?” Peeta asked hopeful. “To be friends with me?”

“Sure!” Said Katniss letting Peeta help her up and relaxing back into her bed. Clearly she was still asleep, and Peeta the Friendly Ghost was just a dream. It must’ve been that whole prank with the windows. Her subconscious mind seemed to have been more susceptible than she thought. Or maybe Peeta was just a coping mechanism to deal with the move, all influenced by her mother’s crazy ramblings. “I’ll allow it. I’m Katniss by the way.” She responded easily.

“Well, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Same wise.”

They were quiet for a moment and then Katniss asked. “If you’re so friendly why were you trying to mess with me by opening all those windows?”

 

* * *

 

 

It was the wee hours of the morning and Katniss sat on her bed reading ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, or trying to read rather, since she kept blinking her drowsy gray eyes, stubbornly staring at the same page without really making sense of it.

Peeta ‘sat’ at the foot of the bed. His body was in the right position, but his bottom was hovering at least 5 inches above the mattress. He stole glances his companion’s way over the book he was supposedly reading, until at last, Katniss yawned widely, still tired from the emotionally charged day making Peeta smile. “I think you should try to sleep some more. Dawn won’t be for a few more hours.” He offered softly.

Katniss frowned. “I don’t wanna be trapped in another nightmare.”

“I’ll keep watch over you, and if the need arises, I’ll pull you out again.” He said like it would be his honor to guard her from nightmares.

“You promise you won’t let me relieve the terrifying stuff over and over?”

“Cross my heart!” He said using two fingers to trace an X on his chest.

“But you’re already dead.” Katniss deadpanned.

Peeta chuckled. A sound Katniss could have sworn she heard earlier, during dinner. “Then, you’ll just have to trust me.”

“Fine. But if you let me down, I’ll act scared and scream ‘Eek! Ghost!’ the next time I see you.”

Peeta laughed but then he noticed Katniss was wrinkling her nose.

“What is that smell?” She muttered under her breath grimacing.

Peeta’s eyes widened in recognition. “Oh no!” He lamented desperately. “Not those guys!” He groaned.

Katniss was about to ask what he was going on about, but the lights in the room flickered repeatedly, the temperature dropped at least 10 degrees, the walls started to contract and expand, and a shrill, deafening scream filled the room. Peeta only had time to place himself in front of Katniss to shield her when three ghostly figures tore into the room like a natural disaster.

“Did somebody said they wanted to be... scared?” A ghoulish voice sang-song followed by a chilling cackle.

“Nobody! Nobody wants to be scared! Guys we talked about this. Please. Be reasonable.” Peeta begged, while Katniss peeked over his translucent shoulder at the three figures roaming around them like a school of sharks circling a dying castaway in the middle of the ocean.

“I think Peety-poo is trying to kick us out of here guys!” Said the shortest one. Female by the sound and look of her, though her body was mostly fog, she wasn’t as detailed as Peeta to Katniss’ eyes.

“He wouldn’t! He knows that ghosts share their haunts.” Said the tallest. Then suddenly, he dove right into Katniss’ face stopping mere inches from her nose, “Unless he wants the girl all for his own.” He said in a smooth, seductive voice. “I have sugar cubes to share with you though.” The ghost winked.

Peeta pushed him off with a serious frown on his face. “Knock it off. There’s no reason to invade her personal space. Get out of here. You know this room is out of bounds anyway.”

“Boy, this space became free range the moment Sweetheart there decided to plant herself in it.” Said the third one.

Katniss bristled at the false endearment and without thinking it through stood from the bed, through Peeta’s body, wagging her finger at the offending ghost. “Don’t you sweetheart me! I don’t know you, and you know nothing about me to be calling that! I can’t believe how rude y’all are!” She snapped.

The ghosts fell silent, staring at the seething girl with wide eyes. Suddenly the three newcomers bursted out laughing, while Peeta groaned dismayed.

“I like her! She’s got… _Spunk_!” Said the paunchy, middle size one Katniss identified as the stink-emanating one.

“Ha! That, or she’s completely brainless! I like her too!”

“I—“

The third ghoul got interrupted by Mrs. Everdeen rushing into the room holding some kind of beeping device going off in annoying high pitch alarms. The four ghosts got seemingly sucked out of the attic with the woman’s interruption, but Mrs. Everdeen managed to get a quick glimpse of the specters before they fled. “You’ve made contact!” Mrs Everdeen cried out excitedly. ”Katniss, this is absolutely amazing! Great job honey! I was afraid the spirits would be difficult to coax into talking to me, but they seem to like you!”

Katniss was flabbergasted “You can see those bozos?” She asked in a flat voice, feeling a rage simmering under the surface. “They’re real?”

Mrs. Everdeen had the good sense to look apologetic. “The manor was rumored to be haunted. It was imperative I had access to a place with a heavy paranormal traffic in order to study the spirit world.”

“You brought me to a haunted house, and didn’t tell me anything about it?” Katniss barely held her temper in check. “All you care about is your job and your experiments” Katniss gritted through clenched teeth. “I should call Cinna and report you!”

“But, Katniss, this is the opportunity of a lifetime! Imagine all the things we could learn! We could make contact with historic figures. Imagine asking George Washington what he thinks of the current USA? Imagine being able to talk to Daddy again!”

Katniss felt cheated and drained from all energy. “Momma, get out of my room. I want to be alone.” She told her mother tiredly.

“The spirits may come back.”

“Right now, I rather deal with them than talk to you. Good night momma. Go back to your work.”

“Katniss—?”

But the teenager simply shook her head and pointed at the door. Without saying another word, Mrs. Everdeen left the attic and Katniss sank into the floor in the middle of the room. Her heart hurt and her temples pulsed painfully against her skull.

“I’m sorry, Katniss.” Said Peeta quietly, coming to _sit_ next to her.

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.”

“I was supposed to protect you, but I failed. I was so proud of myself when I stopped them earlier with the windows. By the way, what you said earlier about that woman with the big hair, Trinket, was very funny.” That afforded him a smirk from Katniss, “But then… I’m sorry the others ruined everything with their bad behavior. I’ll understand if you don’t want to speak to me anymore.”

Katniss looked up at him, “I want to speak with you, Peeta. You’re still my friend, even though you’re dead, and… you are a ghost.”

“You promise?” Peeta asked excitedly.

She smiled sadly, “At least now I know you’re real and not a product of my overstimulated imagination.”

 

* * *

 

The first day of school was as awkward and full of anxiety as Katniss feared. It was also nothing like Katniss expected. She got many stares from the other students which would be the norm for the new kid in town, but soon, one daring kid came up to her and asked her if it was true she lived in Mockingjay Manor. One glance at the busy hall showed how many interest faces where directed at her.

“I do?” She answered dubiously, but instead of scaring the others kids away, her answer drew more of them in, closer to her.

“Is it really haunted?” Asked a girl that looked to be around Prim’s age, except she would’ve been her total opposite in looks: dark hair, dark skin, deep, soulful brown eyes, very, very wide open and expectant.

Katniss took an immediate liking to the girl and concentrated on her. Katniss was still an introvert and very uncomfortable with the attention she was getting. The whole idea of talking to people about the ghosts in her house was just stress inducing.

“Um. It’s certainly an acquired taste of living situation.” Katniss said vaguely. “The other day, all the windows in the dining room were acting up, opening when I thought they were closed. I really hope it’s just an old home problem, and the safety locks need to be changed.” She smiled at the girl.

“Can’t imagine having to share a house with ghosts.” Said the girl in awe.

Katniss chuckled. “It’s a good thing the house is so big.”

“No kidding!” Said the girl grinning at Katniss’ attempt at levity.

Another kid… a guy actually, sharing the girl’s coloring leaned closer and placed his hands on the girl’s shoulders. “Hi,” He said. “Um… I’m Thresh and this is my cousin Rue. I’m the Student Body President here at Panem High.”

“Hi Thresh.” Katniss said shyly. Thresh was tall and muscular, and his voice was as smooth as caramel. “Katniss Everdeen. I’m new here.”

Thresh laughed at that and all the onlookers followed suit. “Well, miss Katniss, I was on my way here to welcome you to our school, when I heard you talking to Rue. So, I hope this isn’t very forward of me, but, we have a Fall Festival coming up, and our planning committee has been looking for a place to have a Halloween Dance to celebrate the festival…”

Thresh trailed off, leaving the thought in the air for a moment. All the students around seemed to have clumped closer together surrounding Katniss, Thresh and Rue in the middle of the hall.

“What Thresh is asking, in layman’s terms,” provided an older girl with straight blond hair and eyes as blue as cornflowers, “Could we have the dance at your place? Normally we do it at my house, but the city council banned it this year so they can do maintenance to the top floor. It’s truly an inconvenience.” Said the girl. She stuck her hand out and in the same business like tone she had used before, she introduced herself as, “Madge Undersee. Mayor’s daughter and Panem High’s planning committee chair.”

“Nice to meet you.” Said Katniss shaking Madge’s hand. The blonde had quite a grip for someone looking so dainty in her Nancy Drew preppy get-up.

“So, what do you say Everdeen? Could we start making flyers with your address on it?” Asked Madge again.

Katniss gave it a thought for a moment, ‘ _if momma is shut in her workshop down in the basement, I doubt she’ll notice a few hundred kids dancing in the ballroom… the trio of chaos will be an issue, but Peeta would love to have a house full of visitors_.’ “I’ll clear it with my mother, but go ahead and pencil me in!” She finally said sounding more cheerful than she felt.

All at once the other students started whispering excitedly to one another, and some actually hooted in celebration. Both Madge and Thresh thanked her— Thresh more profusely than Madge— and Rue just smiled widely while looking at the school wide excitement she caused just by asking a question.

The bell announced school was in session, and Katniss scurried away to her first class, with her nose buried in the map the front office had provided her with that very morning. She was more anxious than thrilled about the prospect of having a Halloween party at her house, but she knew Peeta would be delighted for an opportunity to mingle with kids his age without scaring them.

Katniss realized she had no idea how old Peeta truly was. She didn’t know much about him to be honest, other than his name, that his favorite color was sunset orange and he haunted the manor but he hated scaring people.

Katniss was strangely aware that a ‘ _friendly_ _ghost_ ’ was probably an oxymoron, but she truly liked the idea, and for reasons she couldn’t fathom, she liked the idea of Peeta even more. She resolved to ask his age when she got back home, he was probably 100 years old too, but she didn’t really mind.

 

* * *

 

 

Katniss had to go grocery shopping. On her own. Again.

Not that she wasn’t used to it, but she naively thought that since they had just moved into town, her mother would be at least a smidge interested in getting familiar with their new surroundings, maybe meet the neighbors or just spend time with her daughter; it was practically court mandated that Mrs. Everdeen carved time out to spend with her daughter, but as Katniss expected, her mother handed out her credit card and told her to be safe.

Katniss drove herself to school that morning, and though she didn’t know what she expected from the tiny town she now lived in, she was surprised to discover Panem was literally a game of tic-tac-toe. Downtown consisted of a grid of 4 streets criss-crossing each other and a quaint little square smacked in the middle with some Mom and Pop shops lining the streets.

There was a small cutesy market downtown, but their inventory was limited to beautiful, aromatic produce, fresh from the local farms just outside Panem, and a few other necessities such as milk, eggs, bread, soap and toothpaste. And tea. And sugar. She was in the south after all.

A quick Google map search told Katniss that if she wanted to get a decent frozen pizza or a box of her favorite hot pockets, she had to drive 15 miles to the nearest Walmart to make a dent to her grocery list. She also needed a few rugs to put at every door. She had to mop the floor earlier after tracking mud into the house because her mother nearly had an aneurysm when she saw the mess. Katniss rolled her eyes. Her mother couldn’t be bothered to even eat supper, but mud on the floor she’d have a fit about.

The only thing that made the drive not so sucky was the fact that Peeta was tagging along with her. He wanted to take ‘a stroll around town’ and show her all his most favorite places.

His excitement was contagious.

When Katniss announced it was time to go, Peeta literally glided down the front steps giggling like a toddler. He went through the car door on the passenger side as if it wasn’t there and ‘sat’ on the copilot seat looking like a kid on Christmas morning.

Katniss smiled when she saw Peeta hovering a few inches above the cushion of his seat clapping his hands. She chuckled amusedly when he actually tried to put his seat belt on. She bit her lip to keep herself from blurting out a reminder that he was already dead, and the seat belt would just go through him uselessly.

They made a lap around the square and Peeta talked a mile a minute of little trivial stuff about Panem. Katniss listened to him go on and on about the last time he had come to the square, some two years earlier. He gushed about all the ways he’d seen the town change in all his years as a ghost.

“How come it took you two years to come to the square again? We’re not that far?” Katniss asked glancing at him after checking the map app on her phone.

Peeta shrugged. “I didn’t have anyone to come with. Trips to town alone are depressing. Plus, I have to keep an eye on the others. I’m just lucky lately they just want to stay home and sleep…” he trailed off and simply sat there quietly looking out the window. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to.” He added after a long pause.

The thought was bittersweet, and made Katniss indescribably sad. She could relate.

It was the very first time she had a navigator with her. Ever!

“I just got my license earlier this year,” she said out of the blue.

Peeta looked up genuinely interested. “You’re a very good driver… for what I can tell.” He offered politely.

Katniss smiled tightly. “Thanks.” Her eyes returned to the road and her fists tightened around the steering wheel. It took another moment, but she continued. “Primrose, my sister, constantly talked about how great it would be when I got my license. We could go on errands for our parents together, plus it’d be less lame to be dropped off at school by her older sister than our mom or dad.” She took a shuddering breath, “But Prim and Daddy died 13 months before I was able to get my driver’s license, and that totally blows. Prim would’ve definitely loved going to Walmart with us.”

“I’m so sorry, Katniss. Losing someone you love is not easy.”

“It isn’t.”

Silence came over them, and she mulled some things around. “Peeta, you said you’ve seen Panem changed for many years… how long have you been dead?” She asked without any tact, just to keep herself from falling into a spiral of sadness.

Peeta screwed his face into a thoughtful mask. “I honestly don’t know. All I know is that I woke up one day, and I had no body. In fact, at first I didn’t even had a shape. Just a huge head, a half torso and arms.”

Katniss snorted. “You’re lying. Jo’s face is pretty distinguishable even without the rest of her form.”

“Most ghosts look shapeless at first. Jo learned a lot from us. She’s only been around so long.” Peeta shrugged.

“So, did you look like a little blob of a person, all head and arms, with no legs and no nothing?” She asked smirking. “How did you start looking like this?”

“It took years. Then I met Haymitch. He was fully formed and could actually manipulate objects from the living’s side.”

“The living’s side?”

“Is what we call all of your side of the curtain. You see, we are not supposed to be able to interact. It’s like there’s a veil between us. But sometimes the rules of the universe bend, and things like what we’re doing right now can happen.” He said gesturing between them. “We can see and speak to each other like there’s no barrier between our worlds.”

“Mmm. That’s interesting. My mother would probably love to hear that explanation.” Katniss said sardonically.

“Maybe you can tell her.” He said easily.

“Maybe. If she ever leaves her bunker.” Katniss quipped.

“You know, Katniss? You remind me of Jo sometimes. And for that I apologize. The comparison is not flattering to you and quite unfair.”

Katniss gasped in mock surprise. “Is Peeta the Friendly Ghost, talking smack about his ghost friends?”

“Sssss-mack?” He modeled after her.

“Yeah, you know… talk ‘ _ill_ ’? You said ‘the others’ weren’t as nice as you and that being compared to Johanna is more of an insult. _That_ , is definitely not Friendly.”

They both share a laugh, and once the laughter had died down silence took over the car until Katniss asked something else.

“Peeta, who did you lost that you loved?”

Peeta looked out the window. There were miles and miles of country starting to turn orange, brown and red. Long patches of tall grasses and trees with changing colors.

Beautiful.

“Me.” He said simply.

 

* * *

 

 

“Johanna is just crazy. A troublemaker. Then you have Finnick who’s usually melancholy if Jo is not roping him into some mischief. Haymitch is perpetually annoyed. All three of them enjoy haunting people, but while Haymitch does it out of spite, Jo does it because it entertains her…” Peeta paused a moment and craned his neck to look at Mrs. Everdeen’s notes over her shoulder.

The woman had been ‘interviewing’ him for a solid 30 minutes already and she wasn’t halfway through her long list of questions for him.

”Alright, Peeta. Let’s talk about you now.” Mrs Everdeen said with a sniffle.

“Sure. I don’t like haunting people. I rather help them and be friends with them. Is just so much more gratifying to have a conversation with someone than hearing them scream in panic.”

“Alright. So you’re more of a socially inclined being.” Said the woman making a note. “Anything else?”

“Mmm… no! That’s it for me.” He said brightly.

“Katniss mentioned that you helped her make pancakes and breakfast biscuits from scratch. Is that something you learned from observing someone you’ve come across?” She asked staring at him over the rim of her askew reading glasses.

Peeta sat down in the air taping his chin with his fingers. “I’m not sure.” He said. “I really haven’t seen anyone cook other than Katniss. She’s a really good cook when she means to be.” He said pulling the corner of his lips sideways in thought. “I made bread the other day. I know for a fact I’ve never seen anyone make bread. And offered Katniss to make some cakes and pies for the Halloween gathering… I’m not sure how I knew what ingredients to ask for, but somehow I’m confident I can make the desserts just fine.”

“Well, I guess if you’d like to, we can run some experiments and see if that helps you remember.” Offered mrs Everdeen. “I’m working on this machine. The Lazarus.”

“After the man from the Bible?” Peeta asked thoughtfully.

“Exactly. I don’t know that I can restore life, per se, but that’s where you and your companions will come in, if you’d want to. Through trial and error, we can figure out the best way to bring our worlds together. Is that something you’d be interested in?”

“Of course, ma’am. And I’d for sure ask the others, but please realized, the others are unpredictable to say the least.”

“That’s great, Peeta! Thank you! Now, what’s this gathering you mentioned? Is it a ghost gathering?” Mrs. Everdeen’s posture perked up at the mention of the ‘gathering’.

Peeta laughed. “Oh no. No ghosts. It’s Katniss’ Halloween soirée.”

“Oh! And where is this soirée happening? She hasn’t said anything about it to me.” Mrs Everdeen said a little disgruntled.

“Um… I’m not sure I should keep answering this line of questioning until you’ve spoken to your daughter, ma’am. If you excuse me, I much rather go now.”

“No! Wait!”

But he disappeared instantly after that sentence, leaving a very aggravated scientist behind.

Not missing a beat, Mrs. Everdeen put her notebook and pen down roughly and took to the stairs angrily, calling her child’s name in her ‘mom voice’ as she marched to the third floor.

Meanwhile Peeta appeared into the teen’s room, where she laid on her back on the floor with her legs crossed in the air, reading some book or another.

“Katniss! I think I may have let my mouth run.” He said frantically just as Mrs. Everdeen’s voice reached them still far below.

“What are you talking about? What did you do?” She asked with a sigh.

“I told your mother about the Halloween celebration, that you’ve failed to mention was a secret! Now tell me… is there anything I need to apologize for?” He asked worrying his lips, eyes pleading and flitting to the door.

Katniss groaned.

She sighed standing up and dropping her dog eared book on her bed. “There’s nothing to feel sorry about, Peeta. You’re okay.” She said stepping out of the attic and climbing down the stairs. “Coming, momma.”

They met halfway the corridor on the second floor, and Mrs. Everdeen didn’t lose any time on unloading on Katniss.

“Why am I hearing from a ghost, that you’re going to a Halloween party before telling me about it yourself?”

Katniss rolled her eyes. “I was gonna tell you at supper last night, but you never came up from the lab. Is not a big deal, momma.”

Mrs. Everdeen wrinkled her nose knowing her daughter was right. “Well… Nobody clears anything with me, Katniss!”

Peeta’s head stuck out of the wall behind Mrs Everdeen to give Katniss a sympathetic face. His arm and hand went through the wall next, and he gestured for her to continue.

“Um… I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

“Good!” Said Mrs. Everdeen vindicated. “You make sure you tell me where you’re gonna be at. Maybe… maybe other parents names and contact information.” She sounded unsured, and seemed as if she was trying hard to not look guilty.

Peeta came completely out of the wall and urged his friend to come clean.

With another roll of her eyes, Katniss took a deep breath and spoke. “Actually, momma. The party is going to be here.”

Mrs. Everdeen screeched, “What? You offered our house for a Halloween party?”

Peeta rushed up to Mrs Everdeen, waving his arms in the air, shushing everybody frantically with a finger to his lips while his eyes kept flying to and fro in all directions.

Katniss put a hand up and continued talking, not really looking at her mother as she explained, “The party is usually held at the Mayor’s mansion, but since the place is under maintenance, the staff asked if we could host, and I figured, since I’m new in school and it’s the middle of the school year, and it was a request straight from the mayor’s home…” Katniss couldn’t really look at Peeta or her mother for fear her face would show she was lying through her teeth… somewhat. Madge was the mayor’s daughter after all, so technically the request came from the mayor’s household.

Mrs. Everdeen brought her slender fingers to rub circles around her temples. “Who all is coming?”

“The whole school?” Katniss mumbled sheepishly to the floor tracing circles on the carpet with her toes.

Mrs Everdeen’s lips flattened into a thin line. “Fine, Katniss. Do as you want. But I want the house spotless afterwards. And no disturbing the ghosts!”

Before Katniss could respond, her mother turned around and stomped her way down the stairs muttering to herself in aggravation.

“That went well,” Johanna said sidling up next to Katniss who just groaned to the ceiling.

“Swimmingly, I’d say.” Agreed Finnick uncoiling smoothly out of the floor.

“Guys… can you please… just stay in your rooms?” Peeta begged pitifully. “You know, as an act of civility and good faith towards our new tenants?”

Haymitch slung his arm around Katniss’ shoulders causing her to shiver for how cold and stinky he was. She recoiled from him quickly, “I don’t know children. What do y’all think? Should we stay in our rooms quietly on Halloween, while our house is full of impressionable teenagers, as a sign of good flight to our tenants?”

The trio exchanged devious glances and after smirking at one another, they cried loudly at the same time, “Naaaah!”

 

* * *

 

“Hunting…” Katniss sighed longingly. They had been sitting at the kitchen table while Katniss did her homework and somehow ended up talking about Katniss’ family. “I miss that about my dad the most.” She looked at Peeta for a second and elaborated. “I don’t miss hunting. I love it and can do it on my own, but I miss spending time with my father in the woods, just the two of us. Him teaching me the ropes patiently and being ridiculously proud of me when I did it right.”

“Sounds like an amazing bonding experience,” said Peeta softly floating next to Katniss.

“It was! We took Prim with us a few times, but her heart was just too soft for it. Every time we shot something she would talk about how we could still save it if we rushed it back home to mom.” Katniss’ lips curled into a bittersweet smile. “I just miss my father’s company, his wit and his wisdom. He was the greatest.”

“I’m sorry they’re gone.” Peeta’s apology was heartfelt, Katniss just shrugged.

“It was a while ago. One year, five months and 21 days. But who’s counting?” She glanced at her friend and offered, “Sorry you’re dead too.”

Peeta smiled sadly. “It’s really not that bad. I have all the time in the world to explore this house. I even fit in the pipes between the walls. Also I have a full time duty to keep the others in check.” Katniss and Peeta smirked at each other.

“How’s that working out for you?” She asked knowingly.

“Ugh! I need a raise!”

They laughed together a while and finally came down to quietness.

“Peeta, how did you end up here?”

“I really don’t know. I’ve always been in this house ever since I woke up dead.” He said without any self pity.

“Mmm… maybe you died here,” Katniss offered.

Peeta shrugged, “Maybe.”

“You told me that my father and my sister probably moved on. Why did you stay? How did you managed it?”

“Oh… I think it’s related with my erased memory. I think that if I had my memories back, I wouldn’t have to linger.”

“Well, then I’ll help you figure it out, so you too can move on. Okay?” She offered him a hand to shake her promise, but he just stared at it skeptically.

“Are you sure you want to do that?” He asked looking into her face.

She nodded firmly. “I am. I think you should move on a rest in peace. Plus you may be able to meet my family on the other side. You could tell them that although both momma and I are a dysfunctional mess right now, we will be okay.”

Peeta could hear the slight quiver in Katniss’ voice but chose to not call attention to it.

“Now shake like a gentleman!” She demanded. “The faster you shake, the faster I can get you moving into the light!” Katniss sounded confident, despite the feeling of loss that was already forming in her chest at the thought of Peeta moving on.

He smirked but took her hand in a hearty shake. “You can take your time, you know.”

But Katniss had a purpose now: discover who was Peeta in life and what his unfinished business might be.

 

* * *

 

The only saving grace to the day, was the time spent in the public library. It had been a cold, wet day that encouraged Mrs. Everdeen’s gloomy mood that bled into the whole family dynamic between mother and daughter, causing friction and combustion.

Internet service at the manor was spotty at best, and although Katniss owned a smartphone, not having WiFi at home made for some frustrating web surfing in a tiny screen. She brought her own laptop to the library, that way she could save the information she gathered and bring it back to show Peeta. She was more than sure a quick search of his unusual name, linked to the haunted Mockingjay Manor would give her everything she needed.

She was partially right.

She found out his full name was Peeta Joshua Mellark, he died in Mockingjay Manor (as she suspected) at the tender age of 17, under mysterious circumstances some 70+ years earlier, which explained his somewhat old school or out of date vocabulary. Katniss was disappointed there wasn’t much else to go on after that, except that there was a book containing the town of Panem’s history, and it may have more information on the manor.

However, Katniss found information on Finnick and Johanna. At least, she could share that with Peeta.

“Finnick died 10 years ago,” Katniss recited glancing at her laptop screen. “He’s a war hero, which is obvious by the uniform he wears. He sacrificed himself for his unit in an ambush somewhere in the Middle East, leaving behind a wife and son he never met. His wife and kid, Annie Cresta-Odair and Finnick Odair Jr., live in town, about 15 minutes west from the manor.” She finished grimly.

Peeta nodded mulling the information over. “That explains a lot.” He said thinking on how sometimes, during quiet nights, Peeta would bump into a taciturn Finnick, staring out a window with much sadness enveloping him. “He must miss his family.” After a second Peeta prompted, “And Jo?”

“She was trickier, but once I found her, she had the most info. Johanna Mason, 21, drown 5 years ago in a lake about a mile from here. The coroner found a crazy cocktail of painkillers and alcohol in her system at the time of death. She was estranged from her family after they disapproved of some of her life choices including a pothead boyfriend about 20 years her senior. She took off at 17, never to return despite her family’s numerous attempts at contacting her.”

Peeta sat there hunched over with sadness at his friends’ fates. Then horror and disgust filled his face, “20 years her senior?”

Katniss nodded wrinkling her nose, “A drug addict too.” She added.

“Haymitch?” He asked hopefully.

Katniss’ grimaced but nodded. “I found only one thing about a Haymitch Abernathy, which may or may not be our Haymitch. Homeless drunk that died in the streets. Nobody claimed his remains. He was a Vietnam Veteran that never saw a day of counseling for his PTSD.”

Peeta shudder. “Well, it seems we know what everyone’s unfinished businesses may be. I wonder if we could give them closure so they can move on?”

“You think they’d want to leave this place?”

“I’d leave here.” Peeta said flippantly, but then he looked up and saw Katniss chewing the inside of her lip. “But, that’s just because nobody needs me here. Your father and sister, they were needed. Surely they would’ve stayed knowing how much you and your mother miss them.”

After learning about the circumstances in which the others had died and how their deaths left them either forgotten, missing a connection, never making peace with their loved ones, or incomplete... Katniss was sure her family had moved on. They had a loving, happy home, and for the first time since their wakes, Katniss was able to set them free from the prison of her grief. Both her father and Prim had known love in their lifetimes as short as they were, and Katniss was oddly happy for them because they didn’t leave anything unsolved before departing. It was a beautiful thought and so she smiled at Peeta.

“It’s okay. If they crossed over, that means they had no regrets in life, and that’s something I can be proud of.”

Peeta beamed at her. “I’m glad for you.”

“Me too!” She said realizing it was true. “I think you’re right. We should help the others cross over, and maybe help my mom let go of her dead in the process.”

“Then let's get to thinking a plan!”

 

* * *

 

 

Every night without fail, Peeta was always there to pull Katniss out of her gut wrenching nightmares of lost sisters and buried fathers. His smile always warmed her up and dispelled her fears. She didn’t even find it strange anymore. She just accepted that as ironic as it was, a ghost helped her escape her night terrors. Katniss was certain that Peeta had snuck his way into her heart and laid roots there, he would always be special, but she knew she needed friends in the living world too. And she found one.

Madge Undersee turned out to be better than alright after Katniss got to spend time with her.

They ate lunch together everyday at school, and it felt like finally, Katniss had a friend. A breathing, walking, bleeding, alive friend. Granted, they never spoke of very deep stuff like she had with Peeta in the middle of the night, but Madge actually let her tag along for piano lessons and cooking class. Madge was low key, even though she was the Mayor’s only child. Katniss liked how down to earth Madge was.

One perk of being the town’s _First_ _Child_ , was the unlimited access to the town archives, which was were the girls were munching on Doritos right then.

“So,” Madge chewed her chips voraciously, as they walked around the musty smelling room. “What are we looking for?”

Katniss took the bag of snacks from her friend and stuffed her mouth before answering. “Anything that talks about the history of Mockingjay Manor.” She said around a mouthful. Then she swallowed harshly, before saying with a straight face, “For educational purposes.”

Madge shrugged. “K.” She mumbled shoving another handful of chips in her mouth. “Mmm… here.” She pointed a shelf with hundreds of identical looking leather bound books, that appeared to be as old as the town itself.

She dusted her hands, rubbing her palms on her khakis for good measure and strode to the shelf confidently. She studied the books for a few minutes, and finally crowed “Aha!” Startling Katniss. The blonde looked around and finally found a stepping stool she climbed to reach a volume from the second tier of the shelf.

“I think this is the one we need.” She said and both girls walked to a table to read comfortably. “We can’t eat while we’re handling the books though.”

“No problem.” Katniss stuffed the unfinished bag into her backpack and cleaned her hands with a spritz of hand sanitizer.

“Seriously?” Madge glared at her and extended her own hand palm up, expectantly. “Holding out on me, Everdeen? After all the imaginary red tape I’ve moved aside for you?” Both girls giggled, and rubbed the hand sanitizer into their palms with glee.

The book was a wealth of information. As they read, Katniss experienced a plethora of feelings: sadness, curiosity, self righteousness, anger, surprise and excitement. She couldn’t wait to rush home and share her findings with Peeta. The tipping point came when they found a couple of pictures of the original owner of Mockingjay Manor, Mister Mellark, the baker. Peeta was there, in fading colors, but still there. Handsome and smiling next to his father.

He had a mop of ashy blonde hair, falling in waves over his forehead; he had a lovely, crooked smile that somehow made her feel warm inside; and his eyes were a blue so deep the shade was unmistakable.

“Oh! He’s 17! Peeta’s 17!” Katniss said breathily, smiling excitedly.

“Huh?” Was all Madge could get out in her confusion. “Peeta?”

“The boy from the picture! It says right there. His name is Peeta Joshua, and he was 17 at the time of death!” Katniss smile was so big she felt her face was going to split in two.

“Yeah… um… that’s why everybody thinks the house is haunted. Duh! The kid still roams the place moaning and cursing ‘cause his step mother poisoned him or whatever.”

“Wait, What?” Katniss practically tore the book back, “Peeta doesn’t cuss or moan! Plus... where does it say that about his step-mom? All I found on the periodicals in the library just said he died under strange circumstances.”

“Exactly!” Said Madge taking the book from her friend, and walking briskly to a copier machine. “Come on, Katniss. You can take the copies and read them at your leisure at home. I’m not sure if the poisoning story is true, but that’s the rumor that perdured ever since I was a little girl. And you know what they say about legends.”

“There’s always a grain of truth to them.” Katniss sighed, her chest ached for her dead friend. “Mmm, Madge…”

“Yeah.”

“Could we, by any chance, print the picture of the Mellarks in color?”

 

* * *

 

 

“Mockingjay Manor was built in 1901 by wealthy entrepreneur Brandon “Bran” Mellark, a Baker by trade, for his beloved wife, Ceres, who loved children above anything in life.

“The best builders and architects of the time were hired for the job. It was an ambitious enterprise, with the only goal of having enough room to raise a very large family.

“Sadly, the baker’s wife couldn’t stay pregnant past a handful of months, and each pregnancy left her weaker and leaner. Finally in 1910, the Mellarks produced a pregnancy that endured. Ceres was constantly in bed with aches and nausea, but she was happy to be carrying on. The baby came early. A boy Bran Mellark named Peeta Joshua. Unfortunately, Ceres passed away three days after the birth of her only son, from an infection exacerbated by her weakened condition.”

Katniss looked up from the pages she read to watch Peeta’s face, but he was oddly expressionless.

“I’m sorry, Peeta.” She said quietly, she reached her hand, wishing to squeeze his in solidarity, but it just passed through it, like smoke.

“Me too.” He said flatly. After a very long pause, he said. “No wonder I’m tied to this place.” He said bitterly. “I killed my mother.”

“No you didn’t!” Katniss said, again trying to reach for him. “That kind of stuff happens. Women, they bring children to the world and sometimes there are complications. It’s not the baby’s fault. And your mother… she loved you so much, she was happy she gave you life.”

“You can’t know that, Katniss.” He said dejected.

“Well… we can help my momma figure out how to contact other spirits, and we can ask your mom. I bet she’d be happy to see you.”

Peeta sighed. “You can’t disturbed the ones that have already crossed to the other side. They’re gone. Is us here in limbo that can’t move until we deal with our unfinished business.”

“Fine. Then we’ll figure out about yours and get it done. We still have a few pages to go.” Katniss said waving the stack of stapled paper in her hand. “You can cross over and reunite with your mother and father. I’m sure they’ll both love to see you.” Just then she remembered!

She rifled through the photocopies and found the one she was looking for. She tore the page out and handed it to him. “Here. See how happy your family was?”

Peeta gasped.

He took the piece of paper with the picture of him and his father printed on. He stared at the other images with his mother for so long, by the time he was ready to talk about it again, Katniss had fallen asleep on the floor like piece of crumpled paper.

Peeta smiled fondly at her. Sometimes, when he looked at her, he could almost feel the ba-bump of his heart resonate in his chest. Of course he didn’t really had a heart beating in him, but he felt the effects of tenderness and caring she evoked in him. It was like free falling from very high, or laughing so hard your ribs ached and your lungs couldn’t hold air at all, and sometimes she said such  nice things to him, he knew the ache to touch her and actually feel her warmth against his hand would never lessen, only increese.

When he was alive, Peeta had a crush on his neighbor, Delly Cartwright. But whatever he felt for Delly paled in comparison to whatever he felt when saw Katniss. That’s why he couldn’t bare to drift away when she slept, and not just because it was his bed she chosen to sleep in out of the whole house full of beds. He could’ve easily moved to another room, but he couldn’t make himself leave her side even when she was unconscious, because he was afraid he was going to lose her too, just as he’d lost himself and all the people he’d ever loved.

He willed himself with all his might to make contact with the living world, and picked her up from the floor. He deposited her on his bed… or _her_ bed? he wasn’t sure anymore. He tucked her in, and brushed her hair out of her face. He hovered over her and touched his forehead to hers, wishing, wishing, wishing.

“Kat, can I keep you?”

 

* * *

 

Mrs Everdeen looked at the ghostly trio under her readers and hastily pushed back a few strands of loose hair behind her ear. “What makes Mockingjay Manor ideal for ghosts?”

“There were already ghosts here.” Said Johanna shifting between visible and invisible. She was hoping to annoy Mrs Everdeen but the woman didn’t seem to care either way, so she stopped.

“The boy was lonely. I’m a sucker for teenagers that need mentoring.” Three pairs of unconvinced eyes shifted to Haymitch and after a moment, Johanna cackled while Finnick snorted.

Mrs Everdeen took notes and addressed the last ghost. “How about you, Finnick. What drew you to the manor?”

Finnick’s countenance immediately fell. The room turned frigid and the furniture shook. The walls pulsated in and out and the lights flickered.

Peeta rushed down the ceiling, sliding through the sitting room’s vintage chandelier towards the upset spirit. “Finnick,” He called softly. “Let’s tie some knots.” He said producing a silk rope from thin air.

A moment later, Finnick was tying knots with Peeta and the room went back to normal.

“What did just happened?” Katniss asked breathlessly after having rushed down the stairs.

“Finn had a moment.” Said Johanna inspecting her cuticles.

“So temperamental, that one.” Added Haymitch sagging on the couch like a sack of potatoes.

“What exactly did I say to upset him?” Asked Mrs. Everdeen more out of journalistic curiosity than contrition.

“Nothing really. But merely hint of what he left behind, and he gets all mopy and poltergeist-y.” Johanna shrugged.

Mrs. Everdeen was about to ask a follow up question, but Katniss beat her to the punch. “I’m going to help him see his family. Maybe then he can move on.”

“How or where are you planning on doing this, Katniss?” Asked her mother aggravated.

“I know where they are, and if he’s okay with it, I’m gonna bring them here.”

 

* * *

 

Peeta and Katniss convinced Finnick he looked handsome, despite being mostly ethereal, colorless and in the fatigues he died in a decade before. The ghost was still nervously floating in a circle all over the place, forming a small twister in the middle of the room. The other two ghosts had been banned from the living areas just to be sure.

“What if seeing me like this disturbs Annie? Pushes her over the edge of sanity? She’s so fragile. She’s been through enough traumatic experiences to add this on top.”

Katniss sighed. “Finnick, I’ve spoken to your wife every day for almost two weeks. She has never once, doubted I was telling her the truth about you, or even shied away from the topic. She’s fully embraced the idea of seeing you now, in fact, she was so excited about the possibility of talking to you again, she’s been begging to come since the first day. It’s you who’s been afraid of meeting her.”

Finnick still looked doubtful, but before he could say anything to refute the girl’s argument, they heard the doorbell ringing.

“It’s her!” Katniss gasped excited. She was anxious about the whole thing of course, but she believed that giving Finnick a chance to see his family would give him closure and help him move on.

Mrs. Everdeen made her way to the sitting room moodily. She really didn’t like the idea of strangers encroaching on her lab—  _house—_  to disturb her test subjects—  _resident_ _specters—_  But she figured that observing this interaction was also part of her research. So, grudgingly, she allowed the meet to happen in the manor.

Annie was petite with dark red hair that contrasted handsomely with her fair skin and delicate features. Medium height and though her sea green eyes where sad and somewhat guarded, there was a soothing effect to her quiet voice. She was pretty in a ‘old Hollywood’ kind of way. She glided into the room holding her son’s hand tightly following Katniss closely, but Finnick was nowhere to be seen.

Katniss gave an exasperated groan. “Where did he go?” She asked her mother.

“I’m not sure.” Said Mrs. Everdeen unhelpfully.

“Fine!” The teen grumbled, then turned to her guest and spoke in a nicer tone, “Annie, this is my mother. Please, take a sit. I’ll be back in a jiffy!” Katniss thundered out of the room and roared Finnick’s name, instead bring the other ghosts to her.

Johanna pretended she was swimming backwards in circles around Katniss, then asked obnoxiously. “Why are you fuming, Brainless? Your cutesy plan to reunite Finnick with his wifey backfired already?”

Katniss glared at her while calling Finnick’s name again.

Haymitch seemed to be content just following the procession lazily, not really saying anything, which was fine with Katniss, really. Who needed his acerbic commentary, anyway? Peeta disappeared into a wall and Katniss cursed her solid state and inability to follow him through when the doorknob didn’t budge at her twist. She resorted to banging on the door loudly with her open hand. The other two spirits went into the wall smirking at her.

“Open up! Right now! Annie is out here waiting for you!” Katniss yelled.

Jo stuck her head out of the wall startling Katniss. “He said, no way Jose!”

“What do you mean no way? He agreed to this! Finnick! Come outside this instant!”

“He said, _You_ go away this instant.” Haymitch added poking his head out as well.

“UGH! You are all infuriating!” The teen screamed slamming her fist on the unforgiving wooden door.

There was a gasp, followed by a disbelieving “Katniss?” Behind the raven haired girl.

Katniss turned around to see big, round, sea green eyes staring past her to the disembodied heads hanging from the wall with all kinds of questions written in her face. The woman had followed Katniss there without her knowledge. The two mischievous spirits got excited when they saw Annie, not seeing their friend’s loved one, but just another mark to haunt.

“What do we have here?” Said Johanna coming completely out of the wall.

“Well, well, well… seems like Sargent Sugar Cube was holding out on us, Jo.” The two spirits were about to start their game of who could get a bigger scream, when Peeta came to reason with them, trying to shield the perplexed looking woman.

“Fellows, come on. Let’s be reasonable. There are children in the house.“ Peeta tried to placate his companions only making it worse.

The other two drew closer and closer, “So that’s the delicious smell of fear permeating the house?” Said Johanna, but before they could start scaring  anyone, Finnick rushed out of the room and flashed the other two with a blinding light that somehow expelled them away to their own corner of the manor to sulk.

Finnick stood facing the direction Jo and Haymitch ran to like a guard dog, until Annie spoke bringing everything back into focus.

“Finnick! It really is you!”

Finnick turned to her slowly. “I couldn’t let them scare your child. I doubt his father would be very happy about that. I’m sorry.”

“His father?” She asked momentarily confused. But a slow, sweet smile curled her lips, and made her face light up like the morning sun. “Finn, honey? Can you please come over here?” She called loudly behind her, and a boy with bronze colored hair and the most stunning sea green eyes stepped into the corridor, escorted by a more attentive Mrs. Everdeen.

At first, the boy stood solidly glued to floor, staring at the floating figures in front of him, but his mother soothed, “Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

The boy stepped closer, and Finnick couldn’t look away. The resemblance between father and son was uncanny even to himself.

“Hi Daddy.” Said Finnick Jr. looking up at him cautiously. “Mamma talks about you all the time. She says your jokes were ridiculous, but made her laugh so hard her sides would hurt. She says you made the best grilled shrimp she ever tasted, and that you could hold your breath underwater for a whole 10 minutes. I can only do 2 right now, but I’m working on it every summer. I wanna be a swimmer. Like you.”

Finnick finally tore his eyes from the boy, just to stare at Annie in wonder, but then he lowered himself eye level with his boy. “That’s… that’s great son.” He stuttered. “2 whole minutes! That’s… amazing! The only reason I even learned to swim was because your mom was like a mermaid in the water. So beautiful and graceful.”

Suddenly, Finnick reached for the kid’s face and a most wonderful thing happened, he was able to touch and feel his child’s warm skin on his ghostly fingers that somehow gained color where he touched his son’s skin.

“Did you know I prayed for you everyday for 5 whole years? We wanted you so badly! the doctors said that I couldn’t give your mommy any babies, and I was so sad for a while… but… here you are!”

“The prayers worked, Finnick.” Provided Annie with tears in her eyes.

“I didn’t know... _but_ _they_ _did_! I’m so sorry I missed it. I love you both so much.”

“Katniss, Peeta. Let's give the Odairs some privacy.” Whispered Mrs Everdeen wiping her own tears.

Katniss followed her mother with a dampened face and a full heart, glad she could do this for them.

Peeta hovered for a moment looking at his friend for one more minute.

Finnick mouthed, “Thank you!”

Peeta waved. “Now you can rest my friend. Hope to meet you on the other side.” It was the last time they saw Captain Finnick Odair. Good soldier, great husband, sorely missed father. A good man. 

 

* * *

 

 

Plutarch Heavensbee was a rotund, pompous and loud man who’s accent was almost as affected as Ms Trinket’s, the realtor, was. He walked into a room as if he was larger than life, and although he was polite and amiable, there was a certain je ne sais quoi about him that made Katniss dislike him.

Maybe the reason was as simple as the fact that the man worked for Snow & Coin Labs, and every time she saw him, she saw less of her mother.

Plutarch— How he insisted to be called by anyone— had come in a surprise visit to Mockingjay Manor to check on the Everdeens. Out of the _goodness_ _of_ _his_ _heart_ , he’d brought a keurig and his most favorite hoity toity blend cups to brew while talking shop with Mrs. Everdeen. “A belated housewarming gift!” He unwrapped, unpacked and installed himself.

“I’ve heard you have a little boyfriend!” Said Plutarch to Katniss while fixing himself a foamy cup of coffee for the fourth time since arriving.

Mrs. Everdeen almost choked on her mint tea and Katniss wrinkled her nose. Plutarch used to come to her old house so often, he believed himself some kind of eccentric uncle to the teenager, while she thought the man was an idiot.

“I don’t have a boyfriend.” Said Katniss barely hiding her indignation.

“Sure you do. Your mother said that you and this boy, Peter, is it? Are inseparable. That she’s halted some of her experimentations because it could interfere with you and your boy pal or something of the sort.”

“What are you talking about?” Katniss glared at her mother who had the good sense to look guilty. “There’s no one named Peter!” Then it registers to her how close that sounded to _Peeta_.

Katniss wondered why would her mother stop working on something in her lab because of her friendship with the ghost? She wondered if it would somehow affect him? At the same time, she wasn’t about to clue in the man about the ghosts in the house, but she was almost certain she could convince Haymitch and Johanna to chase him off— if they were open to a peace offering of course.— They were still upset about Finnick moving on to the afterlife after meeting his family and getting some well deserved closure.

Neither the Everdeens nor Peeta witnessed it, but Annie told them every detail she saw of the event with Finnick Jr’s input. They described the moment Finnick had come to a peaceful resolution, and the door to the other side opened up for him in splendor and light. It was a pretty picture. Bittersweet, but full of love, hope and the promise of a reunion sometime in the future. The Odairs seemed to all be at peace and content.

Finnick even left messages for each of his friends in Mockingjay Manor, but Johanna refused to hear hers that day, although, she came around two days later after sulking in a cold room on her own. She was more attached to Finnick than anyone thought. She called him her bestest friend ever. Katniss offered to help move on as well, but she refused that too.

“There’s no reason to be shy around your uncle Plutarch!” Said the man with a wink. “Why won’t you invite him over so we can meet?”

Katniss deadpanned. “Plutarch, even if there was a boy alive I was inseparable with, I wouldn’t introduce him to you.”

“Aww… you’re nervous of what I would think of your boyfriend.” The man cooed. “That’s adorable!”

“Not at all.” Katniss had a very lengthy rant on what her thoughts were about Plutarch meddling in her life, but she kept her tongue for her mother’s sake. “Now if y’all excuse me. I’m going to my bedroom.”

“Young lady, I think you’re being very flippant with this boyfriend issue. No 14 year old child should talk back this way to her family! I think it’s important I meet anyone that may be causing an impact on Snow & Coin’s investment. I should meet your friend so I can decide for myself if he’s worth all this delay with The Lazarus.”

“The Lazarus?” Katniss gave her mother a squinting glare that made Mrs Everdeen clear her throat uncomfortably. Forget the fact that the condescending ass got her age wrong in the same sentence he overstepped family bouncy, Katniss was familiar with the whole idea of the Lazarus and she did not approve at all.

She considered messing with death and life risky business particularly now more than ever, after meeting her housemates. There weren’t any guarantees Lazarus would work, plus, there was not knowing how the dead would come back if it was even possible. As far as she knew, her mother was very far from being able to even start working on the Lazarus.

“Why yes!” Said Plutarch brightly. “Your mother is sure she can commence the testing stage as soon as she finds a subject.”

“Testing stage?” Well, that was some shocking news to the teenager. “Momma, I thought we’ve talked about the Lazarus.” She looked at her mother in disbelief.

“Just think, honey. We could bring daddy and Prim back in a corporeal form if things go right. At least momentarily. That’s why I need testing it to see if I can make the changes permanent.”

“If things go right? What if they go completely wrong? Momma, Daddy is not coming back! Neither is Prim. They’re gone. Crossed over. They had no pending business holding them back! You should be happy for them, not dragging them out of eternal rest!” Katniss practically screamed throwing her arms in the air leaving the phrase ‘ _for your own selfish gratification.’_

“Why would you say that?” Mrs Everdeen asked in a trembling voice. “Look at me Katniss, do I look to you like finished business? ‘Cause I sure don’t feel like it.”

“Momma, just because we are a mess, doesn’t mean Prim and Daddy have a reason to linger.” Katniss said quietly, but before she could elaborate, Plutarch interrupted.

“Honestly, with all the rumors about this place in the market, is actually disappointing you haven’t make contact with the spirit world yet.” Plutarch pouted to Mrs Everdeen, while the woman wrung the napkin in her fist to shreds.

Katniss looked at her mother with both curiosity and admiration. For whatever reason, mrs Everdeen kept from Snow & Coin the fact that they had made contact with not one, but four ghosts in the manor. Katniss didn’t know her mother’s motives, but somehow, her keeping their existence secret made her proud of her, although she was still annoyed her mother never confided the reason behind the move into the humongous manor was because it was haunted.

Plutarch kept running his big mouth ignoring the two Everdeens in their silent standoff. “Is just a pity that a self proclaimed Paranormal Scientists, has no ghosts to study nor made contact with spirits of the dead—“

A blood curling cackle resonated in the room. The walls started to bleed; blood dripped from the ceiling as well like rain. The substance was thick and acrid to smell, and soon everything and everyone was covered in it. Breathing had become almost impossible, but the screaming from the humans in the room made the scene even more chaotic. Somehow, they made it out of the house after much pushing, stumbling, and falling. They were all covered in the disgusting stuff, but they were all okay.

Everyone started scraping off the blood plastered to their eyes, mouth and nose.

“What was that?” Screeched Plutarch spitting and stuttering.

“Um… I think we need to talk about some things Plutarch.” Started mrs Everdeen.

“You think?” Spat the man flying saliva everywhere.

But before any explanation could be given, someone started spraying Plutarch with the hose on its harshest setting. The round man fell backwards, landing sprawled on the ground. Johanna laughed loudly and ripped the hose from Haymitch’s hands to continued the torture herself.

“Stop it!” Katniss demanded.

“Jo, I think Sweetheart wants a shower too!” But they never got a chance to hose her down.

Peeta called loudly for everyone to stop, taking away the hose from the ghostly duo.

“There’s no blood folks. It’s just an illusion this two troublemakers projected in your minds. Please, don’t be frightened.” He said holding out a hand for Plutarch to help him up. “I’m quite friendly you know, and the others… they’re an acquired taste, but they will grow on you.”

“Well I’ll be!” Plutarch muttered in awe. Then he turned his glinting blue eyes up to the Everdeens  who sported different degrees of discomfort with their situation, but as usual, Plutarch seemingly didn’t noticed and affirmed excitedly, “Testing must start at once!” Then he thrilled rabidly, “We’re going to be rich!”

 

* * *

 

“No!” Katniss planted herself in front of the door with her arms crossed over her chest. “You will not test that machine on my friends!”

“Katniss, dearie… these are specters, ghosts. They have no friends.” Said Plutarch in a very condescending tone that neither her nor her mother— or the ghosts for that matter— liked one bit.

“Listen here, Toupee, Sweetheart may have the charm of a dead slug, and not one diplomatic bone in her body, but she’s the only one here with enough spunk to stand up for us, ‘specters’.”

“If brainless says we’re not doing the machine, then we’re not doing the machine. Thank you very much.”

Both ghosts were surprisingly supportive of Katniss suddenly which would’ve been kind of touching if they hadn’t just made her believe she was covered in the most disgusting blood rain ever. She had a hard time believing she’d hold the ghosts’ allegiance for very long before their next prank was formed in wherever they made their thinking, but she’d take anything they were willing to give right them.

“Are you aware that the Lazarus can bring you back from the dead? It can revert the effects of expiration. You can get your bodies back. You’ll be able to live with—“

“Dude! What makes you think we _want_ to come back?” Asked Johanna looking positively spiteful. “There’s a reason I haven’t let little miss butler usher me into the other side by fixing my unsolved issues. There’s a reason Haymitch hasn’t clued her in his either, even though he’s known what he needs to do in order to move on to the next plane for a long while.!

Katniss looked at the troublesome twosome for a moment with narrowed eyes. “You’ve known all this time, and you’ve said nothing?” She asked with an edge of accusation.

“Sweetheart, we know your intentions are pure, but we like being able to haunt people. It keeps our ‘spirits’ up!”

“Seriously? That’s the whole reason why you don’t want to move on, because you like _haunting_ _people_?” Katniss deadpanned.

“Don’t knock it down, brainless! It gives us purpose.” Affirmed Johanna with a smirk.

“You’re impossible.”

“No. You’re infringing the contract! That’s what you are doing!” Cried out Plutarch dramatically.

“Plutarch, you can’t force them to go along with the experiments.” Piped up Mrs Evedeen at last. “Technically, they don’t exist. Even if they’ve actually signed a contract with you, there’s no way you can compel them to comply.”

“I can call an exorcist. And before you can argue further, let me remind you that this is Snow & Coin’s property and we reserve the rights to ‘cleanse’ the place as we see fit.” There was a serious threat in the man’s words Peeta didn’t wanna test.

The boy had no idea what being castaway from his home would mean, but he was sure he could bargain something that would allow his friends to remain free if he volunteered as a test subject for the Lazarus.

“I’ll do it!” Peeta spoke up. “I’ll do the experiments. Under one condition.” He looked directly at Plutarch. “My friends are free to either stay or leave the manor—“

“No, Peeta!” Katniss cried out lunging forward to block him from the man’s view, but Peeta simply caressed her shiny braid for a moment.

“It’s alright, Katniss. I don’t mind helping, plus nobody needs me.”

“I do!” She insisted vehemently. “I need you. You’re my best friend in the world. I can’t let you go.”

“Katniss, I’m an amnesiac 17 year old kid who’s been a ghost for almost 80 years. Best case scenario, I get another shot at the life my step-mother stole from me. Worst case… I had a great last few months of my death with you.”

“You remembered? Your former life?” Katniss gasped. “When?”

“Oh, Katniss. When I’m around you, it’s like things fall into focus.” Peeta took a minute to collect his thoughts and then elaborated. “There’s a kind of curtain separating the living and the dead. Is thin and gossamer, but it is there because we are not supposed to be in the same place. Sometimes though, it’s like a breeze moves the curtain and we get this glances at the world beyond. It’s fleeting for the most part, but beings like us” he pointed at himself and the other two, “take advantage of it, and hold tight to the ripple, just so we’re grounded somewhere, instead of wandering aimlessly like the lost souls we are.

“That first day you came, I saw you walk by the ballroom and it was like the curtain had been pulled away completely. I hadn’t seen a living person so sharply before, it’s almost like I can see you in color, and I still can’t explain why or how.”

Katniss cocked her head to the side curiously. His ramblings about muted colors had made her pay closer attention to the things she saw daily. In his stead. “Is that why you followed us that day?”

Peeta nodded cautiously, giving Katniss a sheepish glance under his pale, long lashes.

Sometimes the girl couldn’t stop staring at him. Peeta was handsome for a ghost, with a chiseled jawline, snub nose and wavy hair that fell on his forehead and eyes. She would become lost admiring his eyelashes at times, wondering if they ever tangled when he had a solid body, which led to other questions about how he’d look as a living boy that left her breathless and bothered.

“I just wished I could see the color of your eyes. Then I would try to paint them.” Said Peeta quietly.

Katniss nodded. “Of course! Painting was one of your hobbies!” She exclaimed excitedly.

“Awww! Isn’t this sweet? I get it now. Katniss’ little boyfriend is a ghost! That’s adorable, darling! But you could do so much better... somebody with a pulse maybe? You’re not terrible to look at.” Plutarch butter in obnoxiously. “Now stop delaying progress, my pet! Snow & Coin didn’t bring your mother here so she could go coddled you, baby. Let’s make some moolah people!”

“Don’t you talk to my child that way! Haymitch! Jo! Get him!” Hissed Mrs Everdeen surprising everyone.

The ghostly duo didn’t have to be asked twice. Jo simply gave a stout salute to the woman and flew right inside Plutarch’s chest. The man fell on the ground convulsing. Then the proyectile puking started. Haymitch swooped in just as Johanna exited the body like a tag team, and made the man levitate and flop on the ground hard, repeatedly, until they tossed him across the yard over to the extravagant Maserati no doubt belong to the corpulent man.

Plutarch finally stood up, shaken, dirty and wild eyed. “Well, I’ve never—“

“Into the car, Toupee!” Yelled Haymitch.

“I’ll have you know this is my natural hair!” Countered Plutarch giving a ridiculous pull of his platinum blond hair.

“Hasta la vista, Chubster!” Cackled Johanna doing her backstroke in the air, “Unless you want more!” She flew right at the man’s chest, stopping an inch from taking over his body again.

Plutarch was scared of Johanna enough to jump into his car and start the engine, but he peeked his head over the roof and warned the Everdeens. “I may not be able to force these horrid ghosts to do Snow & Coin‘s bidding, but I sure can evict you two ladies from the premises for breach of contract! You have until the end of the month to either comply and produce test subjects, or pack your bags. You decide. End of the month!” And then his tires left skid marks and the overwhelming stench of burning rubber as he peeled off into the sinking sun.

“Momma!” Katniss whispered and ran into her mother’s arms. It had been so long since she felt her mother’s warmth it was breathtaking. “You ran him off! What’s gonna happen now?”

“Now, we gotta clean that house and start decorating for your Halloween party, honey. We have until the end of the month to decide what comes next. I say, let’s enjoy it until then and leave with a bang!” They smiled together for what felt like the first time in ages while the ghostly duo danced around them recounting their abuse on Plutarch with glee.

But while the Everdeens had finally found each other, the Friendly Ghost felt like hope was slipping away from him.

Peeta may loose his Kat after all. 

 

* * *

 

 

The Everdeens and the ghosts worked together to ready the house for Halloween.

Decorations went up everywhere making the manor look festive and spooky at the same time. If it wasn’t for the fact that Katniss knew the ghosts in the room with her where ‘nice’, she’d find the place a little scary thanks to the atmosphere her mother had created with a few well placed fake cobwebs and dark decor.

Peeta tried to act cheerful, gliding from room to room carrying hot drinks and snacks for the living and chiding the dead when they tried to sneak bites of the pastries Peeta somehow managed to bake. It was a wonder how even the ghosts seemed to crave the baked goods even though they didn’t need them.

Earlier since moving in, while cleaning a corner of the attic that served as Katniss’ room, she came across a locked chest. It was very heavy and old, made from dark wood and embellished with golden accents at the lock plate and all the corners and edges. _Fine_ _craftsmanship_ as Mr. Everdeen would have call it. Katniss decided to leave it in her room as a decorative piece.

It happened that as they spruced up the first floor for the party, Mrs. Everdeen decided to dust the formal office near the house entrance. Peeta said in passing that his father used to only go there when he needed privacy and seldom used unless it was business related which he tried to never drag into home unless strictly necessary.

One of the drawers in the beautiful Vintage desk seemed shallower than the rest, and being a curious sleuth, Mrs Everdeen found the false bottom and popped it open with a happy laugh. “Katniss!” She called out in her excitement.

Once everyone was in the office, Mrs. Everdeen produced her loot from the hidden compartment: a few old family pictures, a copy of Mr Mellark’s will and testament dated 1959– the year he’d died of old age— and last but not least, an ornate, golden skeleton key that didn’t open anything in the room.

Peeta had been drinking in the photographs mesmerized. His mother prominent in almost each one. He largely ignored the rest of the group as they tried the key in various possible locks without success. The more he stared at the likeness of his mother, the more the blanks in his memory filled in.

“I remember!” He gasped at them holding one particular picture of his mother in one hand and pulling the key out of Katniss’. “I know what does this key open!” He cried out holding his parents wedding portrait for everyone to see.

“Peeta, wait up!” Called Katniss springing out of the study, but he’d already vanished into the ceiling followed closely by the other two spirits.

The Everdeens made it to the attic just as Peeta was dragging the heavy chest across the floor to the daybed and beckoning Katniss with the key. They quickly placed it in keyhole and turned it easily despite the very long time it just sat there unused.

“This are my mother’s things.” Peeta whispered as they lifted the top of the chest open.

Everything inside was surprisingly in pristine conditions. Photographs; documents; bundles of letters tied up with delicate ribbons; hat boxes and dress boxes, and little knick-knacks and toys. So many toys. _Peeta’s_ toys. At the very bottom, there was a large box and Peeta took it out with the utmost care.

“Her wedding dress.” He mumbled to no one in particular, but exchanging glances between them, everyone one in the room felt the love and loss in his words.

“It’s beautiful!” Whispered Katniss as soon as the dress was laid on her bed. Not one moth bite in sight, nor a hint of decay in the fabric. It looked as new as the day the original Mrs. Mellark wore it.

“My father married his sweetheart from youth,” Peeta said again to no one in particular. “She was the love of his life, and he never got over her loss.” He sighed deeply. “When I was around 12, my father married Evelyn. Beautiful, spoiled and too young, Evelyn.

”Her father used to call her Glimmer, because she was golden and blonde and wore things shiny. But things started to fall apart soon after their nuptials. My father didn’t have patience for her bratty fits and she resented my mother because her paintings were still adorning the main rooms of the house. She hated me by extension, for I was a permanent fixture of that she could not erase. 

“Father fell ill once. It was a very big scare. It brought to light the fact that I was listed as sole beneficiary of my father’s will. If anything had happened, everything my father had, would have been only mine. That enraged her to no end.

“Evelyn— Glimmer— threatened with leaving, filing for divorce, citing fabricated illicit affairs and whatnot. It would’ve ruin my father. So he compromised, told her that he’d divvy up his wealth and possessions if she gave him any other heirs, and she could control her children’s inheritance. But they never shared sleeping quarters, let alone intimacy.

“Father was away for business in one occasion and Glimmer had the horrendous idea of pursuing _me_.” He said disgusted. “I refused to be a piece in her game and told her as much. I told her I had no choice but to tell my father what had transpired between us, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to live with my conscience. She raged and screamed and for two days locked herself away in her bedroom.

“The morning of the day my father was set to return, Glimmer apologized and brought a plate heaping with flapjacks topped with berries and whipped cream as a peace offering. She told me I needed not to worry about telling my father anything, because she was coming clean herself and putting herself to his disposal. So I ate the blasted breakfast.” He paused making a face. “I woke up like this because she fed me nightlock berries. Terribly poisonous.”

Katniss made to move to console her friend but he spoke again. “I stayed behind, because I was afraid for my father’s health. He wasn’t safe with that witch around. My father was so consumed with grief that the marriage deteriorated fast. At the end, Glimmer embarrassed herself by having the chofer confessed to his wife he cheated on her with Glimmer. Father never married again.”

“Peeta, you’re not your circumstances, but what you chose to do with them. And I think you’re an extraordinary young man who deserved so much more than your lot in life. I’m sorry you knew so much unkindness.” Said Johanna, out of all people.

Realizing she had said something so nice, she added, “You should’ve at least hit the cougar though. See what she had to teach you.” Just then, she showed her fully naked body causing Katniss to shriek.

Normally, Johanna had a defined face, shoulders and arms, the rest of her body was a foggy blur. Why did Jo keep her modesty from the others wasn’t clear to Katniss, the female ghost seemed the type who didn’t care for modesty, but Katniss appreciated it not seeing the fully detailed nude Johanna.

At the teen’s flustered reaction, Jo laughed and left the room followed by a guffawing Haymitch.

“I hated that!” Katniss spat. “Did you know about that?” She demanded of Peeta, who looked unaffected by Johanna’s antics.

“Of course.” He replied easily. “Jo drowned skinny dipping.” He said as if it was the most natural thing ever.

“Oh… of course!” Katniss retorted sarcastically, bopping her forehead with the heel of her palm, “Why would Johanna be bothered to wear a swimming suit? No wonder she calls me brainless.” But Peeta didn’t pick up the jealousy in the girl’s voice.

“Katniss,” said the ghost tentatively. When she looked up, he was holding his mother’s dress up to her. “Would you mind wearing this some day?” He asked shyly.

Katniss smiled at him sweetly. “I’d love to!”

 

* * *

 

 

The big day arrived: Halloween!

Everything was ready for the party. Peeta had baked copious amounts of cookies, tarts and pastries shaped or frosted on spooky Halloween motives. Haymitch and Johanna had promised to behave… both of them crossed their ether-like fingers behind their backs and shared devilish grins at each other. Meanwhile, Mrs. Everdeen was as cool as a cucumber filing her nails in a ancient looking chaise lounge while Katniss couldn’t relax, looking out the window every few minutes, looking for signs of Law enforcement there to evict them from the manor, or worse… Plutarch himself. She didn’t think she could stand the embarrassment of being run out of her house in front of all the children from school.

She was so stressed out, she almost missed Peeta’s reflection on the glass in one of her window vigils, when he hovered behind her and just watched her with the hint of a smile on his face.

She turned to face him, suddenly terrified she’d never see her friend again if Snow & Coin threw them out of the manor. She felt like a failure for not giving Jo and Haymitch the gift of rest like she did for Finnick.

“Peeta, your father died and moved on without being harmed by that awful woman. How come you stayed? Your business here died with your father.” 

Peeta shrugged. “I’m not sure. I guess I just got used to the house and everyone moved on without me. With time I even forgot why I stayed to begin with. And then Haymitch moved in giving me a mission to keep him from becoming a dark spirit— those get sent to an awful place to suffer terrible fates we can’t even imagine— Then Finn arrived, and he was just so wounded, and Jo was just so lost. I guess they became my family.”

“I see.” She said thoughtfully. “Peeta. Could you leave the manor and relocate?” Katniss asked biting her lip.

Peeta smiled sadly. “You want me around now, but that Plutarch fellow was onto something when he said you could do better than an immaterial boy. You will meet someone with a pulse someday and I would never be able to compete with that.”

“Oh Peeta—“

But the words died in her mouth. An unfamiliar dark TownCar pulled up to the long driveway and a men she’d only seen once before got out of the back seat. His hair was as white as snow, his face lined with age, but his eyes were beady and black, like snake eyes. “Momma!” She yelled shaking like a leaf.

Her mother joined her at the window with a smirk. “Honey, go get dress for your party. Your friends will be here soon.”

“But—“

“Please go, Katniss. I can deal with this and we will never have to hear from Snow & Coin ever again.” Mrs Everdeen patted her daughter’s cheek affectionately.

She then dialed something on her phone, squared her shoulders and walked towards the front door, just as a second luxury car pulled up, this one with a woman with eyes and hair so pale gray she looked like all color had been drained from her.

Katniss nodded at her mother’s retreating form and ran upstairs to don her costume. When she arrived to her room, she stole another peek out of the window over her bed. A third, more sensible car joined the first two followed closely by a police cruiser. The teen felt her heart hammering in her chest, and then she released a surprised cry when the man from the third car turned out to be Leonard Cinna, their Social Worker.

Somehow, Katniss knew her mother had found some kind of loophole to the contract and brought Cinna in for support.

With the cavalry there, Katniss felt like she could finally breathe. With a smile that threaten to split her face in two, she started for her costume, but then, she stopped to look at the beautiful, white dress hanging carefully on the back of her door.

Her smile widened if that was possible.

She skipped to the dress and took it in her arms. Tonight was for Peeta, because he deserved it. He had saved his friends and her relationship with her mother just by being friendly. It was time someone did something nice for him.

The dress fit her surprisingly well, almost tailor made for her, expect for the fact that the delicate lace on the hem of the long sleeves covered her fingertips and the lace collar was just a tad too wide. The rest fit perfectly well. She wore her combat boots under the beautiful gown, because they made her feel badass, and right when she was about to leave the room, Johanna zoomed in making the lights flickered for a moment.

“A wedding dress? Seriously?” She asked miming a bout of vomiting. “If you’re going to wear that thing, might as well go all out.” She said before Katniss could give her an equally acerbic answer. The ghost swooped over the teenager and ignoring Katniss’ startled shrieks, Johanna undid Katniss’ signature braid and let her hair fall down her back in a waterfall of silky dark tresses. “There. Now, let’s make those intruders pay, shall we?” Jo winked and pulled Katniss with her, forgetting the girl was human and couldn’t go through solid wood.

Katniss fell to the floor after body slamming the door full force. Johanna poke her head back into the room and for the first time ever, looked chagrined about something. “Oops… sorry brainless. But hey, you look pretty.”

The ghost was gone in a second, leaving Katniss to pick herself up and make her way to the first floor very slowly. She didn’t seemed to have broken anything but getting a drink of water was her first priority. By the time she’d  reached the kitchen, all kinds of ghostly noises filled the house.

Other noises came almost immediately: People screaming, doors banging open then close, followed by car doors and tires screeching on the driveway.

Katniss ran to the sitting room and saw her mother chuckling next to a perplexed looking Cinna and a shaken Sheriff, sitting on the couch breathing heavily with his head between his knees.

“What did I missed?” Katniss asked disappointed.

“Nothing much. Haymitch and Johanna tried to drag Snow and Coin into the Lazarus and set it on fire.” Said mrs Everdeen fanning the sheriff with a magazine. “Honey, would you mind handing Sheriff O'neal that paper bag over there? He’s hyperventilating.”

“Thank you ma’am… you may call me Darius, though. After today, I don’t think anyone will take me seriously at the office when they read my report.” Said the sheriff peeking one green eye over his knee to take the bag to breathe in.

“Oh, you won’t have to write much of a report, sir. You were never here. By the time you showed up, everything had been settled amicably.” Said Cinna winking at Katniss. He opened his arms to her then and she barreled right into them relieved. “How are you Girl on Fire? Still betting on you, girl.” He said affectionately and gaining a giggle from Katniss. “Snow & Coin won't ever talk about this incident, I can guarantee it.”

“Oh, because of the… _ghosts_?” Asked Sheriff Darius. 

“No, they could face contempt chargers for forcing Mrs. Everdeen to violate her court ordered schedule working hours.”

“That’s great but what’s gonna happen to us now?” Katniss asked chewing her lip.

“Well, since The Lazarus ‘malfunctioned’, Snow & Coin settled the contract, cutting your mother loose. She no longer works for them. But since they were the ones breaking the agreement, they’re paying all her wages in full, which will allow you ladies to live without many worries for at least 6 months. Then You’ll have to figure out other means of supporting yourselves.” 

“Really?!” Katniss asked brimming with happiness. “And the Lazarus, did it really malfunctioned?” She turned to her mother.

Mrs Everdeen shook her head. “I dismantled it the day Finnick met his family. I finally understood what you meant by insisting your father and sister moved on because they had a good, happy life. I decided I’m okay with that. I’m okay knowing there were no regrets in our family. It’s time to let them go and live our own life… together.”

“Momma!” Katniss ran into her mother’s opened arms for the first time since loosing Mr. Everdeen and Primrose.

“Look at the time?” Remarked Cinna looking at his watch. “Aren’t you hosting a party, Girl on Fire?”

Sheriff Darius, Cinna and Mrs Everdeen agreed to chaperone the party without cramping anyone’s styles, which gave the Sheriff a perfectly good excuse to be there at Mockingjay Manor when Mayor Undersee himself showed up to escort his daughter and approved of the Sheriff’s presence at the event. When parents started dropping off their teens in droves, they also felt better about the party being held at an actual haunted house instead of the grand mansion of the mayor.

Katniss was suddenly swamped with hostess duty and itching to go find her best friend. The party was in full swing and a complete success. Everyone was dancing and eating and just having a great time, except for Katniss so she decided take a break.

Katniss hadn’t seen or heard from Peeta since before Snow and Coin arrived. Since Haymitch and Jo got to terrorize the two intruders, the ghostly dou were keeping their end of the bargain, remaining hidden. But Peeta hadn’t been with them during the revolution against Snow and Coin. Katniss was starting to worry. 

She approached the study, knowing that since finding those pictures of Ceres Mellark in his father’s desk, the study became his second favorite room in the manor, at least that’s what she hoped. But before she could walk in, Peeta hovered out excitedly.

“Katniss!” He exclaimed happily. Then did a double take when he actually saw her, “Wow! You look...” words eluded him momentarily.

“Okay?” She asked wrinkling her nose while fanning out her A line skirt.

“Better than okay!” He told her drinking her in eagerly. “You look...”

“Pretty?” She offered hopefully.

Peeta chuckled nervously, “Gorgeous!” He said breathlessly making her blush. “But, there’s something important I have to tell you... I found them! For you and your mother. I found them!” He said giddily.

“Who?” She asked confusedly, and didn’t resist when he dragged her into the study with him. “Oh my word!” She choked on her words and started crying instantly.

Before her, stood her whole family: father and Prim in full color next to mom, though Mr Everdeen and Prim were floating in the air. Primrose, looked as sweet as a fresh dew drop. Katniss fell on her knees sobbing, and her sister took her face into her hands lovingly.

“Don’t cry.” Said Prim, “We came to tell you both how much we miss you. But we are okay where we are.”

Her father ran his fingers through her long hair, while Mrs Everdeen looked on with tears in her eyes. “That’s right. We had such a wonderful life next to you both, there are no unfinished business for us here.” Said Katniss’ father, who’d obviously just finished talking to his wife, while Peeta was on his way to fetch Katniss.

“But you were both so young! You were still needed here!” Katniss protested. “Is not fair!”

“Sweetie, there are many things worse in the world than dying a happy man, but it’s true. It wasn’t fair. Many things in life are unfair. What’s important is that you try to live full, rewarding lives and leave this place knowing that you have nothing pending holding you back.”

“I love you Daddy. Prim.”

“We love you too!” Said Prim. Then, she gave her sister a mischievous smile, “Go kiss a boy for me, and make it last forever.”

Katniss chuckled between her tears. “Sure, Little Duck. If I find one living boy I’d like to kiss.”

Prim cocked her head curiously, their parents shared a meaningful looks reading between the obvious lines.

Mr Everdeen chuckled too. “I’m sure you’ll find your chosen one Kat-Kat. Now go enjoy your party. Grow up and be happy.”

“I’m gonna miss you both.”

“We know you will, but you have momma, and momma has you. See you when you're old and wrinkly!” Prim kissed her sister and then her mother and vanished into a foamy substance.

Katniss felt her father caressed her face one last time, knowing that time was up for them. “I love you, Katniss.” 

“Love you too, Daddy.” She closed her eyes to stored the feel of her dad’s lips on her forehead, and walked away, leaving her parents alone for the last time until they met again on the other side.

“So... a Ghost?” Mr. Everdeen asked his wife sighing and scratching his neck. “Isn’t he a little too old for her?” He whined more than asked.

Mrs. Everdeen chuckled. “He’s 17. They’re okay age wise... and the great thing about him being a ghost, is no real physical contact!” She beamed at her husband.

Mr. Everdeen grimaced. “The boy is at least 90 years older than her though... and about the no physical contact, that can we work with, at least for Halloween. After all is the Day of the Dead.”

”Oh, I miss you so.” 

“And so do I.”

 

* * *

 

 

Katniss’ next move was to find Peeta and thank him for that wonderful gift, but there was nowhere for him to be found. Katniss went to her room and he wasn’t there. She went back to the kitchen and nothing, she was almost bordering in desperation when Thresh came to ask her for a dance under the guise of saying thank you for hosting the Party.

Katniss was about to say no and run away, afraid she would start crying in front of everyone, but then, the crowd parted almost in unison, and there in the middle of the dance floor, stood a boy oddly familiar, dressed in an early 1900’s outfit that barely hid his upper body’s broadness, but accentuated his boyish good looks.

He was medium height, stocky built, his ashy blond hair fell over his forehead in waves that begged to be brushed back, and under his defined eyebrows, sat the most mesmerizing blue eyes she had ever seen. But then, he smiled at her and she knew without a doubt, she was a goner.

“Peeta!” She called out from the depths of her being.

She ran right into his arms and he spinned her around squeezing her tightly to him, reveling in her feel and warmth. He breathed her in deeply, and laughed joyfully when his lungs ached for being so full of her intoxicating scent.

They separated to look at each other again and he wiped away a wayward tear from her cheeks.

“Gray,” He said softly.

“What?”

“Your eyes. They’re gray. I used to think my favorite color was orange, because I missed the sunsets in full display so much, but now that I can see you clearly… I’m thinking that my favorite color is gray. Like your beautiful eyes.” He then ran his fingers through her long loose hair.

Katniss sighed, closing her eyes savoring the moment in contentment.

“Hey, I don’t know how long I have before I get turned back into ether. Your old man and your sister just told me I was granted some time with you in the living’s realm. So let’s dance now that I can hold you and have your undivided attention to me, before I have to compete with that guy over there looking like he got punched in the stomach.” Peeta’s self deprecating humor only made Katniss cling to him tighter.

“No… You have no competition anywhere.” The words slipped out overwhelming them by how true they rang. Katniss had more to say, though she didn’t and settled for begging him, “Stay with me.” 

Peeta cradled her face in both his large, warm hands and kissed her. “Always,” he whispered against her lips. Neither noticed when they started to sway together to their own melody. They danced in a circle so close, they could do it on pie plate. Moment was magical, as they stared at each other wrapped up in their own coccon of soft feelings, their feet lifted from the floor, leaving them to hover at least a foot in the air.

In a moment of blushing shyness, Katniss happened to look down at her feet; seeing that she wasn’t on solid ground startled her into hooking her arms tightly around Peeta’s neck and holding on to him for dear life. 

Peeta only chuckled and nuzzled her cheek with his nose affectionately. “Katniss, can I keep you?” He murmured into her ear.

She leaned back to look into his eyes. He brushed his fingers down her face before kissing her sweetly again… and then, he disappeared.

“No!” Katniss whimpered as her feet touched the ground softly.

Opening her eyes slowly, she saw with horror every kid from school was staring at her with wide eyes while standing in a frozen circle around her.

Peeta wasn’t actually gone either— which was potentially worse. She didn’t know— he was there looking ghostly, colorless and ethereal. To Katniss’ dismay, the ghostly duo were flanking Peeta, ready for action.

Timidly, Peeta rose a hand in greeting, “Hi folks,” he said softly. “Welcome to my home!”

In a matter of seconds, pandemonium broke loose. Teenagers started screaming and running amok like headless chickens. Mrs Everdeen, Cinna and Sheriff Darius tried to placate the mass panic, but the ghostly duo was making things quite difficult just flying above and cackling maniacally.

Jo stopped to laugh at as kids rushed to the garden, and turned to Haymitch heaving a sigh. “Hey old man. You’re like a father to me. You know that, right?”

“Are we really doing this now?” The older ghost grumbled. “Yeah, yeah.” Said Haymitch as young people rushed past him towards the doors. “You’re all like the family I never had. You complete me, yadda yadda… hey look! The freaking door to the other side just opened for me.” He grimaced annoyedly. “Are you happy now?” He asked Jo, who winked at him.

“Not until you cross it! Come on Haymitch you said you’d go after tonight! A deal is a deal!”

“Yeah. But there still some kids I haven’t spooked yet...” At Jo’s unamused glare, he shook his head ruefully. “You children are just a bunch of annoying brats. You really were my only family. I’ll see you on the other side Jo. It’s been a pleasure. Boy! My work here is done. Now go use that blasted Lazarus. Jo and I fixed it for ya.”

“How?” Peeta asked dumbfounded and moved.

“Don’t ask! Just go!” Ordered Haymitch.

“I’m going to miss you Haymitch. You were my first friend in the afterlife.”

“It’s been fun… son… you were that for me, when I thought I had lost it all. Take care ya hear?”

The door opened indeed. It was every bit as bright and wonderful as Annie had described it and then some. Looking at his family of misfits and broken beings made whole again by love, Haymitch crossed with wave of his hand and a tip of his head. 

Once he was gone, Jo gave a salute in the general direction where the door had closed and disappeared.

“I’m outta here, guys.” Johanna said addressing Katniss, Peeta and Mrs. Everdeen.

”You too?” Peeta asked in a bittersweet tone of surprise.

“ Yeah, I have this pesky unsolved business to deal with...” She drawled with a devious smirk on her face. “Gotta go haunt my ex for leaving to die in that lake after I told him I was afraid of the water and couldn’t swim that well.”

The others simply stared at her with arched eyebrows.

Johanna’s eyes shone. “For the longest time I was convinced there was no one else I loved, but now I know how stupid I was being. I wrote my family some letters. I left them on the study desk. Could you mail them for me, Mrs. E? Maybe... maybe check on my folks? Tell them... I’m sorry and I love them, even my idiot cousin Blight who isn’t much, but is from home.”

”Of course I will.” Said Mrs. Everdeen tearing up.

“I know they forgave me, I just needed to tell them I was sorry and I loved them. The only thing left is having that bastard apologize for taking me from my loving home, alienating me so long, making me believe he was the only person in the world who cared about me while pumping drugs into me. Once I’ve made sure he can’t damage any other would-be rebel girls, my business here will be done.” She shook her head and smiled fondly at the group. “It’s been real guys. Do me a favor please? Love on each other and never let stupid stuff get between family, okay?”

She hugged Peeta, kissed Mrs Everdeen on the cheek and gave a lap of the backstroke around Katniss.

Like most things Johanna did, at first pretending she was swimming made no sense all, but now Katniss understood Jo wasn’t afraid of the water anymore and she took joy in ‘swimming’ all the time now.

“Good luck!” Katniss whispered.

“Thank you Brainless. Lover boy. Mama bear!” She nodded at one and then was gone.

Cinna and the sheriff corralled all the kids outside and parents were starting to come pick them up. Mrs. Everdeen looked up sighing. She’d had to come up with some explanation to those people soon, but right then, she had her own children to assure.

“Peeta… Katniss… the duo told me they never actually let me dismantle the machine. Everything I thought I did was some reality bent they planted in my head. They actually fixed some bugs and worked on Lazarus to the point that it’s actually fully operational and safe. You don’t have to go through it though. But if you do...” Mrs Everdeen trails off looking at the boy apprehensively. “Peeta, just so you know, your father left documentation naming you owner of this house. We will figure out a way to prove it’s yours and take ownership  from Snow & Coin, but only if you decide you want to do this.”

“It’s okay momma. Peeta will do whatever is right for him.” Said Katniss confidently is a bit teary eye.

Peeta did what was right, for all.

That night, the Lazarus was truly destroyed without Peeta becoming human again. He decided he couldn’t alter his fate, and mrs Everdeen couldn’t stomach the idea of people like Coin and Snow making a profit out of her invention, or even worse, bringing back from the dead truly awful people. The world was a scary enough place without more bad historical figures roaming around.

Katniss was proud of her friend. Unbeknownst to them, others were proud too.

 

* * *

 

 

“Peeta…” called a sweet melodic voice. “Peeta darling, wake up son!”

“This is odd. Ghosts don’t sleep.”

A woman chuckled. “That’s because your not a ghost silly.”

“What do you mean?” He asked confusedly.

”Finish waking up and you’ll see.” Assured the woman.

He tried to get up, but something heavy laying on his shoulder prevented him from it. He looked down and saw her dark hair spread all over his chest.

His breath hitched. “Katniss?” He gasped.

That was odd too.

All of it.

By all accounts Peeta shouldn’t be able to have his breath hitched or gasped expelling actually warm oxygen from his nose and mouth. He shouldn’t be able to feel her hair fanned out on his chest. 

The woman laughed again and shushed him. “You’re going to wake her. I don’t think her mother would approve of her teenage daughter sleeping in the same bed as her boyfriend… with a very strong pulse of his own.” The woman giggled. “If you’re anything like your father, that pulse will get you into trouble soon enough without the bed sharing.”

Peeta extricated himself from under Katniss, who rolled and grumbled in her sleep. “What’s going on?” He asked still confused stepping away not very stealthily.

“You’re a hero on the other side, darlin’. A right good hero! I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. I knew you were going to be great since the moment I felt you kick in my tummy.”

“Mother?” He asked aghast giving the woman a good look for the first time. As Mr Everdeen and Prim, Ceres was fully corporeal and live colored, except she was floating.

Ceres nodded happily. “I was allowed to come give you the good news.”

“Good news?”

“You’re being granted a second chance. Your life given back. For sacrificing for others, protecting your loved ones and helping lost souls to cross over at your own expense. You’re such a generous young man, and everyone agreed you deserved this second chance at life. Don’t waste it my boy.”

“Never! Thank you!” He said breathless. “But what about the people that saw me tonight?”

“Oh… all they saw was a great special effects show.” She winked. “Now. Go to bed in a different room and don’t come back to her bed until she says she’s ready!”

Peeta chuckled. “Mother… you’re so pretty.”

“And you’re so very handsome. Now, if you feel inclined to paint my portrait… make hers bigger. Don’t be like your foolish old man. Gosh, I love him to pieces, but he can be so stubborn!” They both laughed.

“I… I don’t mind if he puts your painting in every room. You’re his mommy.” Said Katniss in a cracking voice. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and shuffled on her feet until she was standing next to Peeta. She took his hand in hers to hold. “Thank you for letting me keep him, Mrs Mellark. I promise I’ll protect him, always.”

“We protect each other.” He said kissing her knuckles.

“I know you do. I know you will. Be safe you two. And I mean it in every possible way I can say it to a pair of youngsters such as yourselves.”

Both of them blushed.

“I love you son. Have a great life. I hope to see you again in many, many years.”

Ceres Mellark faded out of view leaving Peeta and Katniss facing the closed bedroom door for a full minute in silence.

“You’re alive, real or not real?” She finally asked.

“Real.” He said in awe. “My mother came back from the other side expressly to tell me so.”

Katniss nodded. “What should we do now that you have a pulse?” She asked.

Peeta turned them to face each other. He caressed her face tenderly, “I just want to spend every possible minute of the rest my life with you.” He whispered.

“Come on, then.” She said and pulled him by the collar back to her bed.

Peeta laughed. “I think I should find another room to sleep in from now on.”

“Tomorrow. Sleep now. Too much stuff for one Halloween.” She grumbled as they found a comfortable position in her tiny bed.

He couldn’t stop laughing, but he was kissing her at the same time. And then, it was his turn to ask.

“You love me. Real or not real?”

Kissing his nose slowly, she mumbled “Real.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> First of all... Happy Halloween!!! 
> 
> Quick note: Ceres (the name of Peeta’s mom) is the name of the Roman goddess of Grains. The word cereal originated from it. I’ve decided I’m using the name for Mellark women from now on, and more likely than not it will appear often in other fics when possible.
> 
> What did you think about my little story? 
> 
> Go out and have fun trick or treating but stay safe guys!


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